Valentine Food for love

 If you are planning a romantic Valentines Day over the dinner table and want to know which foods will bring your object of desire closer, here are the facts.


There are many myths but  very little evidence that some  foods act as an aphrodisiac.  There appears to be a strong placebo effect however.  A spokeswoman for Nutrition Australia says, "It's not about particular foods.  A nutritious diet consisting of food from the five food groups, regular exercise, and a healthy weight is a prerequisite  for a healthy libido."


Well OK, we know all of that but what about oysters?  Apparently Casanova consumed 50 every day  and became a legendary lover so why not?  They do contain more zinc than any other natural food, this being required for reproductive health.


Under the heading of rare, expensive, glamorous, we have champagne and truffles, with the humble celery, carrots, cheese, anchovies and Asian fish sauce containing pheromones particularly androstenone which appears to be important in animals for attracting mates. 

Edible flowers such as roses, violets, pansies and nasturtiums contain flavonoids known as Vitamin P which showed higher libidos and sperm counts in animals.  Certainly good potential here, but I'm putting my money on Gingseng root - which has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries, with chocolate a close second with phenylethylamine increasing the glucose and adrenaline levels in the blood to make one feel good.

So what do we serve?  Start with oysters, then serve the classic dish, Spaghetti alla puttanesca, which contains several ingredients thought of as aphrodisiacs, including anchovies, olives and garlic. I have included  Jamie Oliver's recipe.  When served with a salad including celery, carrot, and  pansies or nasturtions, followed by  cheese and ending with chocolate, you can't go wrong.   Clara

Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Spaghetti alla puttanesca
400g dried spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic,
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tomatoes, diced, or a 400g can peeled tomatoes, with their juice
50g anchovy fillets, without the oil
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
100g black olives
Preparation


Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic and the anchovies and fry gently till the anchovies have ‘melted’. Don’t let the garlic turn brown. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the other ingredients (capers, oregano and olives) and let simmer for another 5 minutes.


In the mean time, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and cook the pasta al dente. Drain, and mix with the sauce. Serve immediately.